1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a positioning mechanism for releasably fixing at least one position of a positioning means which can be displaced more or less linearly relative to a positioning means fixedly connected to a structure, for example a shoe, which provides a mount for at least one displaceable coupling means, which, under the action of a spring arrangement, engages in a female coupling part of the positioning means connected to the structure in a position which fixes the position of the positioning means relative to one another.
2. The Prior Art
Patent specification EP 1 169 932 A2 discloses a fixing means which can be positioned in several positions spaced apart from one another in the linear direction, in particular a shoe clasp for a sports shoe. A base plate is used to mount a bearing means in a linear guide system, which mounts a positioning means provided with a toothed contour on a top face. The bearing means is provided with a pivotable catch element in the form of a rocker, which, under the action of a spring, engages by means of catch projections in catch recesses provided in the base plate spaced apart from one another in the direction in which the bearing means is moved. By pivoting the rocker against the action of the spring about a pivot axis of the bearing means, the catch element can be disengaged from the catch recesses and the positioning element can therefore be moved in a linear direction relative to the base plate.
Another document, U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,156 A, discloses a clasp arrangement for a shoe, whereby a positioning element provided with a toothed contour on a top face is mounted so that it can be moved in a linear direction on a base plate secured to a region of the shoe. The base plate and the positioning element have mutually facing sets of support teeth which engage to fix a position. The positioning element is of a rocker-type design and is pivotable about an axis. The teeth are held in engagement by a spring-biasing action. When a force is applied to the rocker-type positioning element opposing the spring bias, the engagement is released in order to move the positioning element in a linear direction with respect to the base plate, thereby enabling a new position to be assumed.
Another document, U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,253 A, likewise discloses a positioning mechanism for a positioning means, in particular a shoe clasp. In this instance, a tooth element can be moved in a linear direction between two positions on a base plate attached to the shoe. The base plate has two circular orifices spaced at a distance part from one another in the linear direction, which are connected to one another by a slit. Facing the shoe interior and adapted to the cross-section of the orifices, a locking bolt is mounted in the tooth element so that it can rotate. Depending on the respective position of the locking bolt, a lock can be obtained in one of the two circular orifices due to flattened regions in the side of the cylindrical cross-section and the locking bolt can be pivoted by an angle of 90°, permitting two possible positions.